1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to the teaching of reading, and more particularly to the association of visual symbols with mechanisms of speech production.
2. Background of the Invention
An inherent source of difficulty in learning to read is the language itself. Any alphabetic language will be difficult for beginners because the alphabetic principle that arbitrary symbols represent bits of sound is difficult to acquire. In English, the problem is compounded by the many ambiguities and inconsistencies that have resulted from the long and complex history of the language. A logical response to the difficulties of the English language is to create a modified alphabet for beginning readers. A number of minor modifications have been proposed such as colored words, diacritical markings and the like. However, these modifications involve additions that attract the child""s attention away from the actual form of the letters and words. This may be one reason that these modifications have not been widely adopted.
One major modification of the alphabet did become widely used the Initial Teaching Alphabet, or I.T.A. The I.T.A. utilizes 44 symbols, each of which is intended to represent a single sound. Some of the symbols used are identical to the letters of the alphabet; however, many symbols are unique to I.T.A. While I.T.A has proved useful, there are inherent problems with the method. Although children appeared to learn to read faster with the I.T.A., these initial gains were lost when the child had to change to the traditional alphabet, eliminating the unique symbols. Transferring their knowledge to the standard alphabet was difficult.
What is needed is a modified alphabet for education that is not different from the traditional one, but rather one that emphasizes the traditional alphabet""s sounds and visual forms. An initial suggestion for the modified alphabet was published by the present inventor in the Journal of Educational Technology Systems, 18, 173-183 which is incorporated herein as a whole by reference.
In view of the prior art considered as a whole at the time the present invention was made, it was not obvious to those of ordinary skill in the pertinent art how the identified need could be fulfilled.
This invention is designed to help teach beginner reading. Conclusive research indicates that the most critical hurdle to effective reading is learning the correct connections between symbols (letters) and their sounds (pronunciations). To learn this, children must learn that words (e.g., /cat/) are composed of distinct sounds (/c/, /a/, /t/), and they must learn to hear those sounds.
The present invention provides for the creation of a Dynamic Alphabet. The Dynamic Alphabet makes the connection between individual letters and sounds clear and explicit. The Dynamic Alphabet uses a visual analogy between letters and the mouth to link pronunciation cues with the visual structure of letters. These links become real and salient through animation. The Dynamic Alphabet involves two main innovations, pronunciation cues and real-time animation. In the Dynamic Alphabet of the present invention, each letter is treated as a mouth with air flowing through it, as during speech. The pronunciation cues show how the letter""s sound or sounds are formed. Because these cues are incorporated into the letter""s visual structure, the letters of the alphabet are emphasized at all times. The Dynamic Alphabet uses a visual analogy between letters and the vocal tract. For each letter, a critical vocal part is mapped onto its form.
The Dynamic Alphabet cues come to life in real-time animation. Children see a Dynamic Alphabet letter in action as they hear the sound. Thus, the individual sounds of a word become salient, as do the individual letters and the letter-sound correspondence.
The Dynamic Alphabet incorporates these critical properties into a comprehensive system. A set of cues is used to indicate every typical letter-sound in the English language. These cues can be faded out and removed as children progress. For some children, additional cues can be added. Letters can be presented and taught individually, in letter clusters (e.g., onsets and rimes), in words, in stories, and with pictures. Children and teachers are invited to write their own materials.
In addition, note that the Dynamic Alphabet can be useful in teaching second languages. The Dynamic Alphabet illustrates how sounds differ in a new language while emphasizing the letters and spellings of that language.
The present invention provides for a method of associating visual symbols with verbal expression comprising the steps of, preselecting a language having both verbal and written expressions, establishing an array of sounds employed in the verbal expression of the language, assembling an array of symbols correlating to the array of sounds according to the language, associating a mechanical physiologic cue with each sound in the array of sounds, and visually presenting the array of symbols enhanced with the mechanical physiologic cue associated with each sound. With this method the symbols used to identify the sounds associated with a language are modified by associating a mechanical physiologic cue with each identifiable sound. The method described can be further enhanced by animating the array of symbols according to the mechanical physiologic cue associated with each sound.
In a preferred embodiment, the preselected language of the present invention comprises written symbols corresponding to individual sounds or phonemes.
In a preferred embodiment, the present invention provides a method of associating letters of an alphabet with verbal expression of a language, comprising the steps of, establishing an array of sounds employed in the verbal expression of the language, selecting a mechanism of speech production for each sound which can be indicated visually, as a pronunciation cue, and modifying the written letters to incorporate the pronunciation cues, whereby the pronunciation cues identify the mechanism of speech production in the context of the verbal expression of the language.
In an additional preferred embodiment, the pronunciation cues are animated.
In yet another embodiment, the method of the present invention includes a plurality of pronunciation cues to identify the sounds of the language. The pronunciation cues include, but are not limited to, a lips cue identifying the position of the lips during the production of the sound, a throat closure clue identifying the status of the throat during the production of the sound, a tongue cue identifying the position of the tongue during the production of the sound, a vibration cue identifying a nasal vibration present during the production of the sound, a teeth clue identifying the involvement of the teeth in the production of the sound, an expelled air clue identifying the air exiting the mouth during production of the sound, a vowel shape modifier, wherein the vowel shape modifier identifies a long vowel sound by elongating the letter exhibiting a long vowel sound and a short vowel sound by shortening the letter exhibiting a short vowel sound, and a silent letter clue, whereby the silent letter clue modifies the letter associated with a silent sound to be a lighter shade than the letters associated with a non-silent sound.
In an additional embodiment, an apparatus is provided for associating visual symbols with verbal expression, the apparatus comprising, a language having both verbal and written expression, an established array of sounds employed in the verbal expression of the language, an array of symbols correlating to the array of sounds according to the language, a mechanical physiologic cue associated with each sound in the array of sounds, and a visual representation of the array of symbols enhanced with the mechanical physiologic cues associated with each sound.
In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises an animated representation of the array of symbols according to the mechanical physiologic cues associated with each sound identified in the language.
In an additional embodiment, an apparatus is provided for associating letters of an alphabet with verbal expression of a language. The apparatus comprises, an array of sounds employed in the verbal expression of the language, an array of pronunciation cues, whereby each pronunciation cue visually indicates a mechanism of speech production associated with the array of sounds, modified written letters incorporating the pronunciation cues, whereby the pronunciation cues identify the mechanism of speech production in the context of the verbal expression of the language.
In another embodiment, the apparatus further comprises an animated representation of the pronunciation cues.
In an additional embodiment, a processor readable storage medium containing processor readable code for programming a processor to perform a method of associating visual symbols with verbal expression is provided, the steps performed by the processor comprising, preselecting a language having both verbal and written expressions, establishing an array of sounds employed in the verbal expression of the language, assembling an array of symbols correlating to the array of sounds according to the language, associating a mechanical physiologic cue with each sound in the array of sounds, visually presenting the array of symbols enhanced with the mechanical physiologic cue associated with each sound, and animating the array of symbols according to the mechanical physiologic cue associated with each sound.
In yet another embodiment of the invention, a processor readable storage medium containing processor readable code for programming a processor to perform a method of associating letters of an alphabet with verbal expression of a language is provided, the steps performed comprising, establishing an array of sounds employed in the verbal expression of the language, selecting a mechanism of speech production for each sound which can be indicated visually, as a pronunciation cue, modifying the written letters to incorporate the pronunciation cues, whereby the pronunciation cues Identify the mechanism of speech production in the context of the verbal expression of the language, and animating the pronunciation cues.
In an additional embodiment, the visual presentation provided by the pronunciation cues is enhanced by an audible presentation according to the pronunciation cues. With this method, the student will be provided both a visual presentation and an audible presentation of the sounds.
These and other important objects, advantages, and features of the invention will become clear as this description proceeds.
The invention accordingly comprises the features of construction, combination of elements, and arrangement of parts that will be exemplified in the description set forth hereinafter and the scope of the invention will be indicated in the claims.